Reassuring Lord Vader
by Cariel
Summary: Something's troubling the Dark Lord of the Sith and his lady love will stop at nothing to find out what it is. A Vader and Dormé two part ficlet.
1. Part 1

A/N: This is a companion piece to Jody's _Tears from the Sky_, taking place six years after Padmé's death, four years into Vader and Dormé's marriage. Yes, I'm still working on the next chapter of _Vader's Dark Angel_, but after reading Jody's ficlet, I couldn't help writing this! You know how evil plot bunnies can be!

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Springtime on Delaya was, to Dormé, the most magnificent season. Though she had visited the Alderaani Sector many times before, it was on diplomatic matters to Alderaan accompanying her former mistress, Padmé Amidala. She recalled looking out the large windows of their temporary quarters, gazing up in the atmosphere to the mysterious planet. Delaya was so close to Alderaan that one could see it with the naked eye.

The first time Dormé visited Delaya was with her beloved. The vast forests and expansive oceans were gorgeous to behold and reminded her of her home planet of Naboo. Though she preferred the bustling life of a city such as Coruscant, part of her longed for the peacefulness such a location provided. It was not too long after their first visit that her best friend and dearest love surprised her by showing her the lake house he had commissioned for her.

Dormé grew up in a lower-middle-class family and always admired the glorious life the other handmaidens had been blessed with. It was almost surreal to Dormé the first time she set foot in the palatial estates of the senator all those years ago. Now, all of this and more belonged to her. Her childhood dreams became reality. Dormé wore the finest gowns and jewels, lived in the luxurious suite on Coruscant, and now had a second home in this lake house on Delaya.

Even if this were not the case, if she did not have the gowns and jewels or the extravagant homes, she was richer in spirit for she held the heart of her soul mate and he held hers. She had never been so happy as she was when she was with her Dark Knight, the Sith Lord, Darth Vader. As a handmaiden, she was used to wearing the drabber robes and gowns without jewellery or fine things and would easily live without such fineries so long as she was with him.

Presently, Dormé was busy organizing the wardrobes after making notes for decorating their bedroom. She knew it was not Anakin's cup of tea, but enthusiastically took up the task. Upon taking a break from her work, she spotted Vader pacing the living room in front of the extensive windows on which the rain pounded fiercely. It had been so nice the past few days, very sunny and bright, the flowers in the gardens sprung up quite nicely and smelled lovely, but today it was raining. Dormé did not mind the rain, knowing it was both essential for the life surrounding their estate, and to cool the coming summer days. It was also very soothing to hear the rain pattering on the roof, something that added to the ethereal and relaxing atmosphere of this planet.

Peaceful was not, however, how she would currently describe her husband.

She watched him for a moment as he paused in front of one of the windows, gazing out into the darkening sky. He wore a black, cloth shirt over leather trousers he was fond of wearing. The shirt was partially untied in the front as if to accentuate his disordered state of mind. She approached, slipping her arms around him from behind, resting her head against his back. 'Something's troubling you,' she observed softly.

He exhaled, seeming to relax slightly in her embrace. 'It's nothing,' he replied in similar tones.

Dormé knew well enough not to bother enquiring further for he would tell her whenever he was ready. She never pushed him. When he shifted slightly to face her, she judged from his expression that this was not something too serious. She raised an eyebrow curiously. 'If that's so, why were you pacing like a caged animal?' she teased, give him a light poke.

'It's too childish to even bother with,' the twenty-nine-year-old replied.

Her expression grew sympathetic as she began piecing things together. He had been perfectly fine _before_ the rain started up. 'It's the storm, isn't it?' she asked gently.

As the Sith Lord's scarred cheeks warmed, Dormé knew she was correct before he even spoke.

'I guess I'm still not used to seeing so much rainfall,' he admitted sheepishly.

Dormé touched his cheek, smiling tenderly as she said, 'I imagine rain isn't something you've ever had a chance to grow accustom to.'

He fell silent for a moment and she drew him closer.

'It only rained on Tatooine once in all the years I lived there,' he confessed. 'I was about five years old and it was nothing like I had ever seen before.'

Dormé listened to him intently as his voice grew softer but more intense.

'It literally destroyed everything and what it didn't destroy, it choked out with its plague afterwards." He paused, his expression showcasing the darkness of his thoughts. '…I almost lost my mother because of it… Ever since then, rainstorms have always made me…_uneasy_."

He had not spoken of his mother in quite awhile and Dormé knew just what he was inferring by this. Tightening her hold on her lord as she rested her head against his chest, she murmured, 'You never have to fear losing me to the rain, Anakin.'

Instinctively holding her tighter as well, he released a shaky sigh. 'I know it's just—I always lose what I love," he explained, his voice laced with concern.

Gazing up at him as she gave him a squeeze, her eyes shone with love and understanding, though still bearing a hint of amusement. She never made light of his dreams or intuition, but he was speaking of the past and not of present concerns. For this reason, she assured him, 'We cannot change what has passed, but I believe that everything that happened is what led us to be together. We are here now because we were meant to be.'

He seemed to relax slightly at her determination.

'Besides,' she added, a grin playing about her lips once more, 'it would take more than a bit of water to lose me. I am, after all, a native of Naboo.' She winked at him before rising on the balls of her feet to give him a kiss.

Smiling mischievously, she added, 'Rain isn't something you need to be concerned about. For my part, I think it is an ideal excuse to partake in far more…_pleasurable_ activities."

Vader raised a brow in amusement which was soon accompanied by his signature lopsided grin.

With a coy smile and a knowing look, she took his hand, leading him to the inner rooms of the lake house, hoping she had eased his concerns of the storm and making a silent promise to herself that she wouldn't stop until she was absolutely certain she had succeeded.


	2. Part 2

After dozing contently for a few hours, Dormé awoke in her husband's arms. She sighed, nestling closer to him and he, in his sleep, tightened his grasp on her. In response, she kissed his shoulder, gazing at him. She always adored how possessive he was of her, even in his sleep.

Storm clouds raged outside, slowly rousing Vader from his sleep. Portentously, the thunder rumbled as a prelude to the crash of lightning which finally caused him to wake. Dormé noted he was shaken and slid her hand on his chest, her fingers dancing over the areas that used to bear scars. She knew the lines by heart though they were now faded past sight.

He turned his head to look at her, his fingers threading through her hair as he studied her.

They lay there as the thunder continued to rumble overhead.

An idea popped into her head and she planted a kiss on his lips before reluctantly drawing herself from his embrace.

'Where're you going?' he asked, as if he knew she was up to something.

Halfway to the fresher, she said, 'To shower.' She smiled, overhearing him exhaling and stretching as she dashed into the fresher to grab bottle of shampoo.

Donning one of her older scarlet gowns, she went back through the bedroom towards the living rooms. She padded through the room, pretending to be unaware that she knew he was following her. She drew closer to the doorway which led outside, knowing he would not be able to follow any further. Dormé gasped when he grabbed her by the arm.

'I thought you said you were going to shower,' he said frantically. 'Why are you going outside! It's pouring out there!'

'I _am_ going to shower,' she replied without discounting his fears. 'As a child, I too had experiences with the rain, my love. I always enjoyed washing my hair in the middle of the worst of storms.'

Vader sent her a look as if to say he thought she was crazy, but she kissed him before he had a chance to say anything further.

Dormé lamented the fact he would not be able to join her, but comforted herself with the fact that: 'You get to watch.' She smiled impishly before passing through the doorway which preserved the atmosphere inside for Anakin to be able to breathe without the assistance of his mask.

With the bottle of scented shampoo in one hand, she meandered out into the darkness, keeping an eye on the positioning of the windows and the scant moonlight to find an ideal spot for her early morning escapade. Once she found a suitable place, her long, dark hair was already sopping wet and her gown was clinging to her skin. Turning her face upwards, she closed her eyes, smiling into the pouring rain, letting it fall over her in cold, but welcomed waves.

Though nearly twenty-seven, she spun around feeling much like the precocious child she once was, making mischief on her native soil. Laughing aloud at memories of old, she looked to where Anakin stood indoors, arms crossed, as he watched her. She then put some of the shampoo into the palm of her hand and set about diligently working her hair into a lather, imaging she could dot his nose with suds.

Dormé could not begin to think of what was possible going through Vader's head so she merely finished getting the last of the soap out of her hair, feeling utterly refreshed and very cold. It was an invigorating thing she had not been able to do in years and though she wished she could have experienced it with Anakin, she felt with his eyes on her, they were able to experience together in a way.

She tried to squeeze the most water out of her hair as she could, but it was to no avail as the torrential rainfall made it an impossibility. Instead, she returned indoors, sopping wet and freezing. 'Enjoy the view?' she asked through chattering teeth.

From the look on his face, it was a sure bet he had, but Anakin merely pulled her into his arms, uncaring that he would soon be half as wet as she was. 'You're crazy, you know that?' He kissed her forehead.

'I don't _feel_ you complaining,' she teased, giving her wet hair a toss as she gazed up at him. She saw his cheeks reddening and enjoyed the affect she had on her husband.

'Well, I must admit, I've changed my opinion on rainstorms.'

She matched his growing smile before sliding her body up against his as she slowly rose to the tips of her toes. She felt his hands slipping to her waist to aid her in keeping her balance as he was so much taller than her. Teasingly, she lightly bit the bottom of his ear before whispering, 'I love you.'

When she looked into his eyes, she knew without a doubt that her plan had succeeded.

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A/N: Yes, that is it for this little ficlet. Read more about Vader and Dormé's conquests in _Vader's Dark Angel_! Be sure to check out the website dedicated to the pairing. The link is posted in my profile.  



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